Before becoming a solo artist in 1999, he was a member of The Simpletons, and contributed backing guitar and keyboards for The Lucksmiths, The Deerhunters, and Mick Thomas.
Darren is known for his engaging and down-to-earth folk-pop storytelling as well as his often charming lyrics.
Lights
Darren Hanlon Lyrics
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They now look out of place
Just like a crooked painting
Your face would not stay straight
We've got to get out while we can
Our peace we will forever hold
One more night without a blanket
Someone's bound to catch a cold
So are the days of our lies
But before you leave I have
A confession to make
It was only to impress your parents
All those nights I washed the plates
Scratched on an actors textbook
'There are some things you just can't fake'
Now I've got dishpan hands
Now the show is finally over
There's something I must stress
There will be no more revivals
My love I repossess
We missed our curtain call
There's nothing left to say at all
The song "Lights" by Darren Hanlon is a melancholic piece about a relationship that has reached its bitter end. The opening lines, "Your things do not belong here, they now look out of place, just like a crooked painting, your face would not stay straight" set the tone for the rest of the verses. The singer is feeling out of sorts and is aware of the fact that something is not right. They talk about leaving while they can and holding onto the peace that they have at the moment. The line "One more night without a blanket, someone's bound to catch a cold" implies that they are in a space that is not meant for them, and they are uncomfortable.
The second verse talks about how the singer tried too hard to impress their partner's parents by doing the dishes every night, and they now have dishpan hands to show for it. They express that some things cannot be faked, referring to the relationship. The final lines of the song reveal that they missed their chance to reconcile and have come to terms with the fact that it's over.
Overall, "Lights" is a poignant song about the end of a relationship and the realization that sometimes, things just don't work out. The lyrics are simple but effective, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Your things do not belong here
Your belongings don't fit in here
They now look out of place
They appear misfitting now
Just like a crooked painting
As awkward as a skewed artwork
Your face would not stay straight
Your expressions seemed dishonest
We've got to get out while we can
We should better leave now without delay
Our peace we will forever hold
We'll strive to sustain our calmness forever
One more night without a blanket
One more night spent uncomfortably
Someone's bound to catch a cold
One of us is likely to fall ill
Just like the devil's disguise
Our lies equally deceiving as the devil's disguise
So are the days of our lies
Our daily routine comprises of lies and deceit
But before you leave I have
But hold on, I need to tell you something
A confession to make
I need to confess something
It was only to impress your parents
I only did it to get on your parents' good side
All those nights I washed the plates
I washed the dishes so many times
Scratched on an actors textbook
Textbooks for actors usually say that some skills can't be faked
'There are some things you just can't fake'
'Some things can't be faked', that's what the book said
Now I've got dishpan hands
Now my hands have become rough and calloused due to all the washing
Now the show is finally over
Now that our charade is finished
There's something I must stress
There's something else I must say
There will be no more revivals
We won't bring this act back ever again
My love I repossess
I am claiming back my love that I gave you once
We missed our curtain call
We didn't end it properly as we agreed
There's nothing left to say at all
We have no words left to say to each other
Contributed by Natalie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.